Robin ready for Master challenge

Petit Robin will be out to derail Master Minded in Wednesday’s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase but Nicky Henderson admits the runner-up spot is really the best he can achieve.

Henderson’s useful six-year-old won very easily in a Newbury handicap but was destroyed by the country’s top-rated chaser in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot.

Asked if Petit Robin was racing for second place, Henderson said: “Technically yes. AP (McCoy) rode Master Minded and has ridden my horse and I think he suspects that is what we are doing.

“But you go back to the good old adage ’never be frightened of one’, and there’s a lot of prize money.

“We have got to try to take him on. He beat us well and truly at Ascot, we have got a bit of weight to come and my only hope is that he might be slightly better left-handed.

“There’s £90,000 (€98,000) to be second, so a lot of reason to be there. We will ride him to win the race. There’s no point going out there to concentrate on being second, let’s try to beat him.”